A Study on Online Intervention for Early Childhood Eating Disorders during COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Eating disorders in children are linked to maternal psychopathology and poor mother-child feeding interactions.
• The COVID-19 pandemic restricted in-person assessments and interventions for these conditions.
• Web-based methods became crucial for delivering necessary patient care during lockdowns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of an online video-feedback intervention for mothers and children.
• To examine the impact on maternal psychopathology and child internalizing/externalizing problems.
• To evaluate improvements in mother-child feeding exchanges and dyadic interactions.

Main Methods:

• N = 278 mother-child dyads participated.
• Mothers and children (24 months) completed psychopathology assessments (SCL-90/R, CBCL).
• Dyads engaged in an online video-feedback intervention focusing on feeding interactions.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in maternal emotional state, dyadic conflict, and child food refusal.
• Children showed reduced internalizing/externalizing problems.
• Mothers reported decreased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and obsession-compulsion.

Conclusions:

• Online video-feedback interventions are effective for treating child eating disorders and related maternal issues.
• This web-based approach successfully improved mother-child interactions and mental health outcomes.
• Telehealth interventions offer a viable solution for overcoming access barriers in child mental healthcare.